For the last three weeks, these players, among them some of cricket's greatest and short-format specialists with thousands of runs and hundreds of wickets among them, have been plying their trade in the Caribbean Premier League, raising the fledgling tournament's profile several notches and drawing interest from across the world. The league, in its inaugural season, had already secured the presence of the best West Indian talent but the heavy-duty foreign participation has raised the quality of the cricket, increased the size of the crowds - and given the league's sponsors hope for future editions.

Everyone, it seems, is happy. Chris Gayle, captain of the Jamaica Tallawahs, singled out the biggest gain from the experience of playing alongside international stars. "These players from abroad have added so much to the team, both with their experience on the field and also, with their mannerisms off it," Jamaica captain Chris Gayle, said. "Muralitharan and Shehzad are always making us laugh and entertaining us, and the opposition, too. They bring a new life to the dressing room, but their professionalism on the field is remarkable and we all learn from them."

The tournament itself is the latest endeavor in a format that more and more countries are trying to exploit. The Stanford 20/20 tournament brought Twenty20 cricket to the West Indies in 2006 and, as the format evolved, the IPL, Big Bash League and several others around the world decided to capitalise on T20's rising popularity. While the Stanford 20/20 league folded after two seasons, the now-defunct Caribbean T20 tournament became the main T20 championship in the Caribbean after 2010, before the introduction of the CPL earlier this year.

The Caribbean T20 tournament pitted different countries in the region against each other, with the winner advancing to the Champions League T20 competition. The CPL, however, introduced a franchise style of ownership. A draft system for player selection allowed an even distribution of the region's talent and also ensured that crowds in the participating regions got a glimpse of some marquee international and West Indies players.

Among international players, the tournament features cricketers from South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland - a mixed crowd, and each with their pulling power and their own reasons for being there.

Ricky Ponting's decision to use the tournament as his last cricketing appearance also generated interest. Seen as a nemesis of West Indies cricket for many years, Ponting usually bantered a bit and was seen as a major adversary against the likes of Kemar Roach and Tino Best. In his new role, however, he can be seen leading and ushering young players on the field.

One of the many young players to have benefited from Ponting's experience is Jamaican fast bowler Sheldon Cotterrell, who represents Antigua in the CPL. "I was very young when he made his international debut," Cotterrell said. "Playing with him has been wonderful. He's been inspirational to everyone and very motivating. Phil DeFreitas (former England fast bowler and now Antigua's assistant coach) has given me some little pointers and it worked. And whenever I have made a mistake, he has been the person there to see it."

Behind the scenes, the coaches, both West Indian and foreign, have also played an important part. Brian Lara has been acting as an 'unofficial advisor' to T&T and many past West Indian greats like Curtly Ambrose, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and Andy Roberts are coaching franchises. Together, they have created a rich reservoir of experience and knowledge at hand.

Some international players have lauded the CPL as a tournament that's on par with Australia's Big Bash League, but not one that's ready to rival the Indian Premier League yet. New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor said: "CPL's been great so far and I see it aspiring to IPL standards, and I'm glad for this. The experience has been great but I admit it took a bit of time to find the bat out there. This embrace, which seems to be the case with all teams, is what ticks. They don't make us feel like outsiders. It's a big family"

Former England wicketkeeper-batsman Paul Nixon, who now coaches Jamaica, indicated that the overseas players in the team have adapted easily to the region because the CPL's standard of treatment and professionalism was quite high. "When you take care of all your players and coaches, like this, and not just the international stars, that bodes well. Everyone will enjoy the cricket and it shows. The standard is raised," Nixon said.

What the tournament has urgently brought to Caribbean cricket is the influx of sponsors. Matches have been playing to near-packed stadiums and the tournament may set a template for other domestic competitions to find sponsors, even as cricket looks for a way to grow again in the region.

Kieron Pollard, the Barbados captain, praised Malik and Akmal, as "leaders in the dressing room who added an extra edge on the field because they've travelled a lot to play cricket." After Shakib Al Hasan's match-winning six-wicket haul against T&T, Pollard praised the Bangladesh allrounder, saying, he was "a player that the region is blessed to have seen because he will go on to bigger things". But the foreign players have not just been ready talent that the teams have drawn from. They have gained something, too.

Hafeez, for example, has used the competition as a form of match practice before the Zimbabwe series. "I love these pitches. To me, as a batsman and professional, we must adapt and grow to learn how to play in these conditions," Hafeez said. "I found my rhythm and this tournament has done me well. I've garnered match practice and I'm fit, and this is because of the competitive nature of the CPL."

Vernon Philander, looking to bolster a spot in the South African team, has not been in top form with the ball but his batting cameos have been impressive. These performances are likely to bolster his confidence as he seeks a recall to the South African limited-overs side.

The foreign players have also learnt from the experience of playing with West Indies cricketers. Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik was one of the overseas players with the local talent. "They allow the overseas players the chance to gel with them nicely," Malik said. "[The pitch] supports batsmen and bowlers. Credit to the ground staff for the way they prepared the wickets."

Suggestions to improve the tournament have also been forthcoming from the players. "From a cricketing point of view, the pitches are so important," Ponting said. "In this tournament, we have had low-scoring games but otherwise they have been reasonably close as well, so the competition has gone really well so far. In addition to improved pitches, an ideal window in the international cricketing calendar also needs to be attained for the CPL to flourish. You need this to add international stars to the mix." That hasn't stopped the foreign batsmen from dominating the run-scoring in the tournament. (see sidebar on statistics)

The crowds have enjoyed the presence of international players most of all. Bowlers and batsmen get rousing receptions every time they hit a boundary or take a wicket, or even if they head to the boundary to field. Fans attend the nets sessions to take pictures with foreign players, like Ponting or Muralitharan, who they may never see in action again. The atmosphere on the field and off it is perhaps best summed up by Muralitharan: "The cricket is top-class and exciting. It's a party crowd but it's not party cricket. It's all business out there."

Renaldo Matadeen is a sportswriter and social media manager for ESPN Caribbean. He tweets here

Its good for the cricket in the Caribbean , Keep them coming . We all hope that next season the numbers will increase . What a "blast" it was and so we look forward to better "pitches" and full technology to help the umpires .

on August 23, 2013, 3:26 GMT

For me it's been great to see the Pakistani players who, I think, haven't been getting much opportunity in the various T20 leagues for whatever reason. Exciting players. Also the camaraderie of the players is great and you can really see that they are enjoying themselves and I think the fans really appreciate that whether the guy is a home country player, from another Caribbean country, or from outside the region.

Cricket_Man
on August 22, 2013, 13:01 GMT

I am a Pakistani and I am very happy for West Indies cricket. Hope youngsters there take more and more interest in cricket so that we can see the West Indies of the old.

on August 22, 2013, 3:23 GMT

Good article, CPL now must improve on Commentators, there were some very weak ones on show this tournament.

on August 21, 2013, 20:11 GMT

I think few more international players should have been hired & atleast 8 teams would have included! I think writer must have mentioned Shoaib Malik into the top world stars at the top of the article, however good tournament & nice sayings in the articlles!

delboy
on August 21, 2013, 19:51 GMT

I think squads should have a cutoff when they are allowed to draft new players and players who have not featured in the prelim games should not walk into the semi or later stages, for example Sangakara should not be playing for Jamaica at this stage. A player MUST play at least 6 games for his franchise to qualify to play in the semis and beyond.

Cpt.Meanster
on August 21, 2013, 16:54 GMT

@Samad Shirazie: I think you have got it wrong. It should be the other way around. The IPL is the mother of all T20 leagues. The CPL is in its first year and has a long way to go before anyone can learn anything from it.

Cpt.Meanster
on August 21, 2013, 15:12 GMT

The IPL will always be the pinnacle of T20 leagues. CPL, BBL, BPL, SLPL or whatever is around are all just clones. I think people need to acknowledge that simple truth. As far as the CPL goes, if the Caribbean people enjoy it, that's what matters. I don't follow it because I have no interest in it. Also, the non-existence of coverage in Canada (my home) doesn't help.

on August 21, 2013, 14:10 GMT

Fantastic. Wish there was some TV coverage in Canada. The IPL could learn a lesson or two from this.

on August 21, 2013, 12:06 GMT

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback. There is an extended version of this feature at ESPN Caribbean. That will contain the quotes etc from the other foreign players who made an impact. Also, it touches on how the CT20 was disavowed by the WICB in favor of the CPL; with all the pertinent marketing, advertising and tv rights coming into play.
It also mentions expanding for other nationalities abroad to enter. Long story short, that article expands on the points here and touches on everything you commenters pointed out. Please check ESPN Caribbean for more cricket columns. Both them, and Cricinfo, are looking to push exclusive and poignant news to you.

Thanks for the support for the beautiful game.

on August 25, 2013, 11:32 GMT

Its good for the cricket in the Caribbean , Keep them coming . We all hope that next season the numbers will increase . What a "blast" it was and so we look forward to better "pitches" and full technology to help the umpires .

on August 23, 2013, 3:26 GMT

For me it's been great to see the Pakistani players who, I think, haven't been getting much opportunity in the various T20 leagues for whatever reason. Exciting players. Also the camaraderie of the players is great and you can really see that they are enjoying themselves and I think the fans really appreciate that whether the guy is a home country player, from another Caribbean country, or from outside the region.

Cricket_Man
on August 22, 2013, 13:01 GMT

I am a Pakistani and I am very happy for West Indies cricket. Hope youngsters there take more and more interest in cricket so that we can see the West Indies of the old.

on August 22, 2013, 3:23 GMT

Good article, CPL now must improve on Commentators, there were some very weak ones on show this tournament.

on August 21, 2013, 20:11 GMT

I think few more international players should have been hired & atleast 8 teams would have included! I think writer must have mentioned Shoaib Malik into the top world stars at the top of the article, however good tournament & nice sayings in the articlles!

delboy
on August 21, 2013, 19:51 GMT

I think squads should have a cutoff when they are allowed to draft new players and players who have not featured in the prelim games should not walk into the semi or later stages, for example Sangakara should not be playing for Jamaica at this stage. A player MUST play at least 6 games for his franchise to qualify to play in the semis and beyond.

Cpt.Meanster
on August 21, 2013, 16:54 GMT

@Samad Shirazie: I think you have got it wrong. It should be the other way around. The IPL is the mother of all T20 leagues. The CPL is in its first year and has a long way to go before anyone can learn anything from it.

Cpt.Meanster
on August 21, 2013, 15:12 GMT

The IPL will always be the pinnacle of T20 leagues. CPL, BBL, BPL, SLPL or whatever is around are all just clones. I think people need to acknowledge that simple truth. As far as the CPL goes, if the Caribbean people enjoy it, that's what matters. I don't follow it because I have no interest in it. Also, the non-existence of coverage in Canada (my home) doesn't help.

on August 21, 2013, 14:10 GMT

Fantastic. Wish there was some TV coverage in Canada. The IPL could learn a lesson or two from this.

on August 21, 2013, 12:06 GMT

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback. There is an extended version of this feature at ESPN Caribbean. That will contain the quotes etc from the other foreign players who made an impact. Also, it touches on how the CT20 was disavowed by the WICB in favor of the CPL; with all the pertinent marketing, advertising and tv rights coming into play.
It also mentions expanding for other nationalities abroad to enter. Long story short, that article expands on the points here and touches on everything you commenters pointed out. Please check ESPN Caribbean for more cricket columns. Both them, and Cricinfo, are looking to push exclusive and poignant news to you.

Thanks for the support for the beautiful game.

Stark62
on August 21, 2013, 10:23 GMT

"For the last three weeks, these players". Sorry but Sanga, Mahela and Malinga weren't even there for the past three weeks!!

Also, you forgot to mention the intl. players that were actually there for past three weeks like Taylor, Malik, Guptill, Shakib, Akmal, Tamim and Shezhad.

Sayef_Osman
on August 21, 2013, 6:12 GMT

Dont forget to mention the contribution of the great left arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan & offcourse the blazing opener Tamim Iqbal Khan,despite the fact that Shakib's bat isn't smiling yet.They are way better in terms of performance than few other big named overseas players!!!

Qa_ankit
on August 21, 2013, 5:17 GMT

Can any one please answer my one question. Why no Indian player is in it??
Because of some restriction, or due to less money or something else. Because i think players like Yuvraj, Sehwag, Zaheer, Harbhajan etc are really looking for opportunities and also they are big guns. Specially player like Sehwag. Are they not affordable or they think CPL is not for their shades? I don't know but if CPL has approached them then they should have gone for it.

bleedingice
on August 21, 2013, 0:37 GMT

Its the fans that make the CPL, its as much fun as the IPL, Big bash comes third

Imran.Bush
on August 20, 2013, 22:11 GMT

I am a bit surprised that the write fail make mention of an unintended consequence of the CPL replacing the regional T20 competition: It provides even less cricket for most of the Caribbean cricketers and likewise loss of income for some. Most of the major cricket nations have kept their T20 local competition separate from the franchised-based tournament.

on August 20, 2013, 20:35 GMT

If Vernon Philander plays, he will be finished as a Test match bowler.

BRUTALANALYST
on August 20, 2013, 19:47 GMT

I'd like to see your write a piece on the West Indian players performances though and emerging young talent as right now the top run scorer is Andre Fletcher followed closely by Simmons and leading wicket taker is Krishmar Santokie who has been incredible throughout and will no doubt be receiving a call up to W.I squad and most liekly a nice IPL contract for his consistently tight opening/death bowling. Just seems you're hyping the foreign players up a lil to much as good as some of them have been.

BRUTALANALYST
on August 20, 2013, 19:38 GMT

Good piece the CPL has definitely exceeded all expectations and credit must go to the organizers it has been an overwhelming success. Things I like most about CPL in regards to IPL and other T20 leagues are the nicknames all have something in relation to the Island rather than just something generic and despite the franchise format have kept kits to reflect the flags. Also the addition Pakistan players the one thing Ipl lacks for stupid political reasons is participation and flamboyance of Pak players and the great Pak fans worldwide following, Malik in particular has shown his class from ball 1 game 1 an has been great throughout. Also the atmosphere musical instruments and carnival scheduling all create a party atmosphere unique to any other cricketing nation the crowds have been crazy especially this last week in Jamaica and I'm sure the Semi's and final in Trinidad are going to be just as wild if not more so ! The chance for local players an young stars is also new chance 4 region

Gunslinger11
on August 20, 2013, 18:13 GMT

This tournament has been a great success. It was definitely better than BPL & SLPL. I hope we ll see more international players next year. It would be great for WI cricket.

StevieS
on August 20, 2013, 17:56 GMT

Why would they gain experience fom Ricky Ponting in 20/20 cricket? He is a average player in this form and thats putting it nicely! That "experience" must of been hugh as the Antigua Hawksbills are favourites to win the competition, oh wait!

No featured comments at the moment.

StevieS
on August 20, 2013, 17:56 GMT

Why would they gain experience fom Ricky Ponting in 20/20 cricket? He is a average player in this form and thats putting it nicely! That "experience" must of been hugh as the Antigua Hawksbills are favourites to win the competition, oh wait!

Gunslinger11
on August 20, 2013, 18:13 GMT

This tournament has been a great success. It was definitely better than BPL & SLPL. I hope we ll see more international players next year. It would be great for WI cricket.

BRUTALANALYST
on August 20, 2013, 19:38 GMT

Good piece the CPL has definitely exceeded all expectations and credit must go to the organizers it has been an overwhelming success. Things I like most about CPL in regards to IPL and other T20 leagues are the nicknames all have something in relation to the Island rather than just something generic and despite the franchise format have kept kits to reflect the flags. Also the addition Pakistan players the one thing Ipl lacks for stupid political reasons is participation and flamboyance of Pak players and the great Pak fans worldwide following, Malik in particular has shown his class from ball 1 game 1 an has been great throughout. Also the atmosphere musical instruments and carnival scheduling all create a party atmosphere unique to any other cricketing nation the crowds have been crazy especially this last week in Jamaica and I'm sure the Semi's and final in Trinidad are going to be just as wild if not more so ! The chance for local players an young stars is also new chance 4 region

BRUTALANALYST
on August 20, 2013, 19:47 GMT

I'd like to see your write a piece on the West Indian players performances though and emerging young talent as right now the top run scorer is Andre Fletcher followed closely by Simmons and leading wicket taker is Krishmar Santokie who has been incredible throughout and will no doubt be receiving a call up to W.I squad and most liekly a nice IPL contract for his consistently tight opening/death bowling. Just seems you're hyping the foreign players up a lil to much as good as some of them have been.

on August 20, 2013, 20:35 GMT

If Vernon Philander plays, he will be finished as a Test match bowler.

Imran.Bush
on August 20, 2013, 22:11 GMT

I am a bit surprised that the write fail make mention of an unintended consequence of the CPL replacing the regional T20 competition: It provides even less cricket for most of the Caribbean cricketers and likewise loss of income for some. Most of the major cricket nations have kept their T20 local competition separate from the franchised-based tournament.

bleedingice
on August 21, 2013, 0:37 GMT

Its the fans that make the CPL, its as much fun as the IPL, Big bash comes third

Qa_ankit
on August 21, 2013, 5:17 GMT

Can any one please answer my one question. Why no Indian player is in it??
Because of some restriction, or due to less money or something else. Because i think players like Yuvraj, Sehwag, Zaheer, Harbhajan etc are really looking for opportunities and also they are big guns. Specially player like Sehwag. Are they not affordable or they think CPL is not for their shades? I don't know but if CPL has approached them then they should have gone for it.

Sayef_Osman
on August 21, 2013, 6:12 GMT

Dont forget to mention the contribution of the great left arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan & offcourse the blazing opener Tamim Iqbal Khan,despite the fact that Shakib's bat isn't smiling yet.They are way better in terms of performance than few other big named overseas players!!!

Stark62
on August 21, 2013, 10:23 GMT

"For the last three weeks, these players". Sorry but Sanga, Mahela and Malinga weren't even there for the past three weeks!!

Also, you forgot to mention the intl. players that were actually there for past three weeks like Taylor, Malik, Guptill, Shakib, Akmal, Tamim and Shezhad.